1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an airbag device in which a hinge section and the vicinity thereof can be protected more broadly and more securely.
2. Background Information
In a vehicle such as an automobile or the like, an instrument panel or a passenger compartment front section interior panel referred to as a dashboard or the like is installed in a front section of a passenger compartment.
In a part of the instrument panel on a front passenger seat side, an airbag device for a front passenger seat is installed as a safety device for protecting a front-seat passenger in case of an emergency.
The above-described airbag device for a front passenger seat has an airbag module which is configured by folding up a bag-shaped airbag main body and storing it in a storing section (module reservoir), and an airbag lid member which is attached to face an expanding port section (for example, an upper opening or a rear opening) formed on a surface of the storing section of the airbag module.
The airbag lid member has a lid section to be opened by a pressing force of the airbag main body, and an opening section which is formed by opening the lid section.
A support member for assisting the airbag lid member is attached to a back surface side of the airbag lid member. The support member has a lid section reinforcing section which reinforces the lid section, and a frame-shaped opening section reinforcing section which reinforces a circumferential portion of the opening section.
A hinge section for coupling the lid section reinforcing section and the opening section reinforcing section is integrally formed between the lid section reinforcing section and the opening section reinforcing section. The hinge section couples the circumferential portion of the opening section and the lid section of the airbag lid member, and serves as an opening base point (or an opening center) of the lid section. The hinge section is an extra length section which has a required roundabout shape.
Further, the support member has a guide frame section for attaching the above-described airbag module (the storing section thereof) which is integrally formed in an inner perimeter portion of the frame-shaped opening section reinforcing section (in a portion outside the hinge section with respect to a portion where the hinge section is located). The guide frame section also has a guide function of guiding the airbag main body toward the above-described opening section.
The guide frame section has a seizing hole for attaching the airbag module provided in a wall section on the front side and in a wall section on the back side, respectively. The seizing holes seize hook sections which are projected from a wall section on the front side and a wall section on the back side of the airbag module, respectively. The airbag module is installed in a lower portion of the guide frame section by seizing the hook sections with the seizing holes in a state where an upper portion of the airbag module is inserted inside the guide frame section.
Further, the guide frame section is inclined backward (inclined toward the back in the vehicle longitudinal direction) so as to guide expansion of the airbag main body into the passenger compartment. The running direction of the guide frame section which is inclined backward is an expanding direction of the airbag main body.
In the above-described airbag device, a configuration is known in which the airbag main body and the hinge section are protected by causing a protective member to stand between the airbag main body and the hinge section (especially, in the hinge section on the passenger side) when the airbag main body expands (for example, see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-174071).
As shown in FIG. 9, a portion of the protective member 24 which covers a hinge section 17 is formed of a cloth-shaped body having a width size W1 slightly smaller than a width side W2 of the hinge section 17 (W2>W1).
The reason why the protective member 24 is smaller than the hinge section 17 is because the airbag module for storing the protective member 24 is made slightly smaller than an opening section 10 of an airbag lid member 8 in which the hinge section 17 is provided, and the protective member 24 is formed to have a size which corresponds to the airbag module.